During this special video tour, please enjoy the passion, commitment and dedication of the staff, volunteers and all our neighbors involved with helping those in need.

Fire, EMS Grant Program to Open First Week of September

Fire companies and ambulance services throughout Pennsylvania are encouraged to apply for the 2018-19 Fire Company, Emergency Medical Services Companies Grant Program from the Office of State Fire Commissioner.

The application period will open the first week of September and remain open for 45 days. Exact dates will be listed at www.osfc.pa.gov closer to the grant application period opening.

Grants may be used for construction or renovation of a unit’s station, the purchase or repair of equipment, training or debt reduction. The maximum grant amount is $15,000 for fire companies and $10,000 for volunteer ambulance services.

A total of $30 million will be awarded through the program, which is funded by state gaming proceeds.

The 2018-19 state budget, which I supported, addresses many of the state’s critical health needs by directing resources to several important line items, including Lyme disease.

With Pennsylvania leading the nation in the number of Lyme disease cases, $2.5 million in state funding will help combat and treat those affected by the disease.

Efforts will include building a more robust Lyme disease prevention and education program, conducting more well-rounded surveillance through activities like a statewide environmental survey, and improving participation in tick-borne disease surveillance with providers and local health departments. The funding specifically addresses many of the recommendations outlined by the Lyme Disease Task Force, which was created by Act 83 of 2014.

Other health-related funding priorities include increases to support the state’s West Nile Virus and Zika Virus control program; take care of those with intellectual disabilities; and offer evidence-based home visiting services to families affected by the opioid epidemic. Bio-technology research, ALS support services and regional cancer centers also will receive increases from this budget.

Improving Delivery of Human Services

To help ensure a more efficient delivery of human services programs, the Human Services Code portion of the 2018-19 state budget package contained a number of reforms and updates that seek to save taxpayers money while still taking care of our most vulnerable citizens.

Act 40 of 2018 makes several changes to the state’s Medicaid program to ensure maximum efficiency, including new ways for counties to provide nonemergency medical transportation services to eligible and enrolled Medical Assistance recipients.

Finally, the new law aims to reduce long-term care expenses by providing information about the Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) program to individuals seeking long-term care services and supports. Studies show that seniors recover faster and have a better quality of life in their own residences.

Hospitals Must Alert Child Welfare about Drug-Exposed Newborns

To help ensure that babies who are born dependent on controlled substances are safely cared for and receive critical medical and developmental services, a new law closes a loophole in the reporting of such cases to proper authorities.

The legislation is designed to ensure that mothers and their babies get help rather than punish the mothers for drug use.

Act 54 of 2018 requires that child protective services develop a plan of care for the infant and puts the state in compliance with a 2003 federal law. It also clarifies how authorities should respond while focusing on providing help to the babies’ families rather than automatically treating the mothers’ drug use as a criminal act.

According to state data, more than 920 babies were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in Pennsylvania in the first six months of 2018.

Empowering Parents in Substance Abuse Cases

Legislation that will give parents the final word on treatment in substance abuse cases involving their children is now law.

Act 47 of 2018 allows a parent or legal guardian to provide consent over the objection of a minor with respect to furnishing medical care or counseling related to diagnosis or treatment of substance abuse.

It also seeks to protect the patient’s rights in that anyone providing medical care may only share with the parents information that would reduce the threat of harm to the minor.